Bottle dispensing apparatus



Sept. 8, 1959 K. c. WHlTEFlELD BOTTLE DISPENSING APPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 2, v 1956 FIGI.

INVENTOR KYLE CWHITEFIELD ATTORNEY Sept. 8, 1959 K. c. WHITEFIELD BOTTLEDISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1956 INVENTOR KYLEC. WHITEFIELD ATTORNEY vl B Sept. 8, 1959 K. c. WHlTEFlELD 2,903,155

BOTTLE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTRNEYUnited States Patent BOTTLE DISPENSING APPARATUS Application March 2,1956, Serial No. 569,072

6 Claims. (Cl. 221-115) This invention relates to bottle dispensingapparatus and more particularly to an improved storage magazine for suchapparatus and means for releasing or dispensing bottles from themagazine. i This invention constitutes a refined application of and animprovement on the dispensing principle described and claimed in anapplication by James C, Howard entitled, Dispensing Apparatus, SerialNo. 569,071, filed March 2, 1956 and assigned to the assignee of thisapplication.

The invention is particularly useful in coin controlled vendingapparatus for bottled beverages and the like. It isthe principal objectof this invention to provide an improved storage and dispensing meansfor such vendors.

It is another object of this invention to provide a storage magazinestructure that is simply and inexpensively constructed and that iscapable of storing a large quantity of bottles in a comparatively smallspace to reduc the overall size of the vendor cabinet.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improvedmechanism for dispensing individual bottles from the storage magazine.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawingforming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation view of the bottle storage magazineand dispensing means of this invention;

I ,Fig. 2 is a plan view of the magazine shown in Fig. 1 with portionsbroken away to show the arrangement of the bottles in the storagecompartment;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through one of the bottle storagecompartments taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2 and showing therelationship of the bottles to the dispensing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the same storage compartmentshown in Fig. 3 but illustrating the position assumed by the bottles andthe dispensing mechanism at a different stage of the dispensingoperation; V

Fig. 5 issa rear elevation view of the dispensing region of the magazineand illustrating the storage compaitgneut shown in Fig. 4- and anotherstorage compartment adjacent thereto;

Figs, 6 to :9 are complementary sections, in pairs, of the compartmentsshown in Figs. 4 and 5 and illustrate still further stages of thedispensing operation; and Fig. 10 is a plan view of one of the bottleretaining members employed in the magazine.

' In thedrawings the numeral 11 designates generally a bottle storagemagazine embodying the features of this invention and having a storagearea 12 in the upper portion thereof and a dispensing region 13 at thebottom thereof. The dispensing region 13 contains the dispens ingmechanism which individually releases bottles 16 fro'mthe storage area12 and permits the bottles 16 to descend by-gravity onto a wire ram 17,which directs ice the bottles to a centrally located discharge area 18at the bottom front of the magazine 11.

structurally, the magazine 11 comprises a plurality of verticallyarranged, substantially parallel partition members 19 (see Fig. 2) whichdivide the storage area 12 of the magazine 11 into a plurality of bottlestorage compartments 21. The partition members 19 are spaced apart adistance substantially equal to the width of the bottles 16, so thateach compartment 21 houses a vertical stack of substantiallyhorizontally disposed bottles. The two outside partition members 19form-the side walls of the magazine 11 and may, if desired, be providedwith stiffening flanges 22 at their front edges. Suitable means, such asthe brackets indicated at 23 (see Fig. 1) are provided for mounting themagazine 11 within a cabinet structure indicated at 24. As shown in Fig.2, each partition member 19 is shaped in such a manner that the rearportion thereof is offset from the front portion and closely follows theneck line of the bottles stored in the compartments 21. The compartments21 are thus defined by the partitions 19 which have a forward region 26with straight sides for housing the lower or butt end of the bottles 16,and an offset rear region 27 housing the top or neck end of the bottles16. The straight forward portions 26 of the partition members 19maintain the stack of bottles 16 in each compartment vertically alignedwith their neck ends adjacent the offset portion of each partitionmember 19. This rearward offset region of each storage compartment 21 isutilized, in a manner which will hereinafter be described, as the neckend of each bottle 16 undergoes a lateral movement during the dispensingoperation.

The partition members 19 are provided with rear sections 28 bentsubstantially at right angles to their main portions. The partition rearsections 28 extend the full vertical length of the partition members 19and are arranged in overlapping fashion to form the back wall of themagazine 11. Top sections 30 are also formed in a similar overlappingmanner forward of the offset line to strengthen the'upper portion of themagazine and maintain the spacing between the partition members 19. Theoverlapping areas of partition sections 28 and 30 may be securedtogether by any suitable means, such as by welding. Portions ofpartition rear sections 28 near the lower edge thereof in the dispensingregion 13 of the magazine 11, are cut out, as at 29, to permit the neckend of a bottle to protrude through the rear wall of the magazine as thebottle undergoes a dispensing operation. For reasons which will laterbecome apparent, the

material adjacent the side of each opening 29 is bent rearwardly at anacute angle to the axis of the bottle to form a cam surface 31 which isengageable by the neck end of a bottle in the dispensing region 13. a

The bottles 16 are inserted neck end first into the .open front ends ofthe storage compartments 21 and rest therein in vertical stackedrelationship. The bottles 16 are prevented from accidentally moving backout ofthe compartments 21 by retaining members 32 which extendvertically along the front edge of every other partition member 19. Eachretaining member 32 partially blocks the entrance of the open side oftwo adjacent compartments 21. Each retaining member 32 is pivot-allymount ed on a vertical axis and biased by a spring 35 (see Fig, 10) tothe position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These members 32 swing to one sidewhen engaged by a bottle being inserted in one of the compartments21'Iand thereafter spring back to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2'to retain the bottles in position. a

.The lower or dispensing region 13 of the magazine 11 houses thedispensing mechanism which, for each com partment 21, includes areleasable-support 33 for the for} ward or butt end of the bottle 16,and a stationaiy sup:

port 34 for the rearwardly disposed neck end of the bottle 16.Throughout most of the dispensing operation, which is hereinafterdescribed, only the lowermost bottle 16 in each compartment 21 iscarried by the releasable support 33 and the stationary support 34. Theremaining bottles in the compartments 21 are stacked upon and carried bythe lowermost bottle.

The releasable support 33 for each compartment comprises a dispensingwheel or disc 36 having a cut out portion 37, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawing. All of the dispensing discs 36 are carried by a common driveshaft 38 passing through their centers and are fixed in spaced relationthereon with the plane of each disc 36 lying substantially midwaybetween the front edges of the partition members 19 forming thecompartments 21. The shaft 38 is journalled in bearings 39 carried bythe two outer partition members 19 which form the sides of the magazine.The shaft 38 is driven by suitable means which, in the embodiment shown,includes a geared electric motor indicated diagrammatically at 41. Thedispensing discs 36 are secured to the shaft 38 with their notched-outportions 37 angularly displaced from one another in such a manner thatevery partial rotation of the shaft 38 in a single direction will bringa different disc 36 into dispensing position to provide sequentialdispensing of individual bottles from the storage compartments 21. Inthe case of a magazine having six storage compartments 21 and sixvending discs 36, each disc 36 will be angularly displaced from theadjoining disc by 60, and one complete revolution of the shaft 38 willcause a bottle to be dispensed from each compartment 21.

The stationary support 34 for each compartment 21 consists of a sheetmetal member which spans the rearmost portion of the compartment and issecured to the partition members 19. The stationary support 34 isprovided with an inclined portion 42 disposed directly beneath the neckends of the bottles 16 that are confined in the compartment 21. Thisinclined portion 42 joins a horizontal portion 43 which extends to theopposite side of the compartment 21. The inclined portion 42 has formedthereon an upstanding rib 44 which prevents the neck end of the bottleresting on this inclined portion from descending the incline by gravityand under the weight of the bottles above until the bottle is forcedthereover. The action of the vending mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 4to 9. In Fig. 4 the dispensing disc 36 for the compartment illustratedis in a position in which the cutout portion 37 thereof is justbeginning to receive the butt end of the lowermost bottle 16. The neckend of this lowermost bottle 16 rests on the inclined portion 42 of thestationary support 34 and is retained in this position by the rib 44.Fig. 5 shows how this compartment and the bottles 16 therein appear asviewed from the rear of the magazine 11. The compartment and bottles tothe left in Fig. 5 correspond to the compartment shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6 the dispensing disc 36 is shown rotated in clockwise directionapproximately 60 from the position shown in Fig. 4 and to a position inwhich the butt end of the lowermost bottle 16 is fully contained withinthe cutout portion 37 of the disc 36. It will be noted that in rotatingto this position the disc 36 has caused the lowermost bottle 16 to movelongitudinally toward the rear of the magazine (to the right as viewedin Fig. 6) and the neck end of this lowermost bottle 16 protrudesthrough the opening 29 in the magazine rear wall section 28. In assumingthis position, the cap on the neck end of the lowermost bottle 16 has,by virtue of the longitudinal movement of the bottle, been forced intoengagementwith the cam surface 31 at the flared edge of opening 29. Thiscam surface 31 has imparted to the neck end of the bottle a lateral orsidewise motion causing the bottle to override the lip 44 on theinclined portion 42 of the stationary support 34. The neck end of thislowermost bottle has descended the inclined portion 42 and rests on thehorizontal portion 43 of this support, as is shown most clearly by thelower left-hand bottle of Fig. 7.

With the neck end of the lowermost bottle 16 displaced from beneath theneck end of the next lowermost bottle, the lowermost bottle is free topivot on and slide off of the stationary support 34 without interferencebetween the neck ends of these two bottles. This final dispensingposition is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. The dispensing disc 36 hasrotated to a position (approximately 60 from the position shown in Fig.6) in which the butt end of the lowermost bottle drops free of thecutout portion 37 of the disc and this lowermost bottle tilts on andslides off of the stationary support 34 and onto the ramp 17, whichguides it to a dispensing opening in the vendor cabinet. During thisfinal lowering and releasing of the lowermost bottle, the neck end ofthe next lowermost bottle is lowered onto the inclined portion 42 ofsupport 34 and comes to rest against rib 44. The rib 44 prevents theneck end of this next bottle from descending the incline 42 andinterfering with the neck end of the bottle being dispensed.

Figs. 4 to 9, in addition to illustrating the sequence of motions whichthe bottles of any one compartment undergo in being dispensed, alsocorrespond to the individual positions of the bottles in severalside-by-side compartrnents in the magazine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.In other Words, the bottles in the compartment shown in Fig. 4,identified as compartment A, are in the same positions as the bottles incompartment A of Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Likewise, Fig. 6 shows bottles in thesame positions as the bottles in compartment B of Figs. 1, 2 and 7, andFig. 8 shows bottles in the same positions as the bottles in compartmentC of Figs. 1, 2 and 9. In compartment C, the lowermost bottle is fallingonto the ramp 17, having been released by the dispensing disc 36.

It will be noted (see compartments B and C of Fig. 2) that the lateralmovement of the neck end of the lowermost bottle as it is approachingdispensing position causes a portion of this bottle intermediate itsends to move out of the compartment in which it is stored and actuallyoccupy a region of the adjacent compartment. Each partition member 19 iscut away at 46 in the dispensing re gion 13 of the magazine to permitthe lowermost bottle in each stack to move to this position. Becausebottles are dispensed from the compartments 21 in series sequence, therewill be space available for the bottle being dispensed to move partiallyinto the adjacent compartment by virtue of a bottle having just beendispensed from the adjacent compartment.

Fig. 9 is a further illustration of this feature of the inventionwhereby a bottle being dispensed partially occupies space in theadjoining storage compartment. In Fig. 9, the lower left hand bottle 16has been released by the dispensing mechanism and is sliding down ontothe ramp 17. The lowermost bottle in the right hand compartment has itsneck end laterally displaced from beneath the remaining bottles stackedin this compartment and a portion of this lowermost bottle occupiesspace in the left hand compartment vacated by the bottle just dispensed.The stationary support rib 44 in the left hand compartment prevents thenext bottle inthis compartment from descending the inclined portion ofthe stationary support and the butt end of this bottle is supported onthe solid section of the dispensing disc 36, which keeps this bottle upout of that region of the left hand compartment which is occupied by thebottle in the right hand compartment.

This feature of permitting bottles to occupy spaces in adjacentcompartments is an important part of this invention for it enables amagazine to be constructed which occupies considerably less space thanwould normally be required for utilization of a vending principle inwhich g the bottles undergo lateral displacement during dispensing. Withthis invention, the storage compartments 21 need be separated only bythe thin partition members 19 and the width of the compartments 21 needbe only as great as the width of the bottles to be dispensed.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent thatthis invention provides animproved magazine structure for bottle dispensing machines. It is alsoapparent that the invention provides an improved dispensing arrangementwith a minimum of movable means for releasing bottles from the magazinein a manner which insures smooth operation and gentle handling of thebottles and their contents.

It is obvious that the vending magazine and dispensing structure of thisinvention could be used in conjunction with suitable coin-controlledapparatus and housed in a suitable refrigerated cabinet. These elementsare well known and well understood in the art and could be easilyadapted to the structure described above by any skilled person. Inadapting the mechanism disclosed to a coincontrolled vendor, it is ofcourse obvious that the drive motor 41 would be connected to a suitableelectrical circuit for controlling the motor 41 and causing it to rotatethe dispensing drive shaft 38 one-sixth of a revolution each time abottle is to be delivered from a magazine. If it is desired to employthis invention in a vendor having less than the six storage compartmentsshown in the preferred embodiment, say for example, four compartments,then the shaft 38 would be turned a greater amount, 90 in this case, todispense one bottle and, in a four compartment dispenser, the outoutportion 37 of each dispensing disc 36 would be displaced from theadjacent disc by 90'.

While the invention is shown in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so liniited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship, stationary means for supportingone end of the lowermost bottle in the stack, means for supporting andreleasing the other end of said lowermost bottle, said supporting andreleasing means being adapted to impart longitudinal movement to saidlowermost bottle and to thereafter release said other end of thelowermost bottle to permit said other end of the bottle to movedownwardly, and cam means carried by said magazine and positioned withinthe path of longitudinal movement of said lowermost bottle, said cammeans being constructed and arranged to impart lateral movement to saidone end of the lowermost bottle on said stationary support to cause saidone end of the lowermost bottle to move from beneath the next lowermostbottle as said lowermost bottle is moved by said supporting andreleasing means.

2. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship, stationary means for supportingone end of the lowermost bottle in the stack, means for supporting andreleasing the other end of said lowermost bottle, said supporting andreleasively means being adapted to impart longitudinal movement to saidlowermost bottle and to thereafter release said other end of thelowermost bottle to permit said other end of the bottle to movedownwardly, means impeding lateral movement of said lowermost bottle,and cam means positioned within the path of longitudinal movement ofsaid lowermost bottle, said cam means being constructed and arranged toimpart lateral movement to said one end of the lowermost bottle on saidstationary support for causing said one end of the lowermost bottle tooverride said impeding means and move from beneath the next lowermostbottle when said bottle is moved by said supporting and releasing means.

3. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of .a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship, a

stationary support for one end of the lowermost bottle in the stack,means for supporting and releasing the other end of said lowermostbottle, said supporting and releasing means being adapted to impartlongitudinal movement to said lowermost bottle, said stationary supporthaving a first portion disposed beneath the bottles stacked in themagazine and a second portion disposed below and laterally displacedfrom beneath said first portion, means for retaining a bottle on thefirst portion of the stationary support, and cam means positioned withinthe path of longitudinal movement of the lowermost bottle for impartinglateral movement to said one end of the lowermost bottle to cause saidone end of the bottle to move from the first portion of the stationarysupport to the second portion of the stationary support.

4. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship, a stationary support for oneend of the lowermost bottle in the stack, means for supporting andreleasing the other end of said lowermost bottle, said supporting andreleasing means being adapted to impart movement to said lowermostbottle, said stationary support having a first portion disposed beneaththe bottles stacked in the magazine and a second portion disposed belowand laterally displaced from beneath said first portion, means forretaining a bottle on the first portion of the stationary sup-port, saidretaining means comprising a raised projection on said stationarysupport, and cam means positioned within the path of movement of thelowermost bottle for imparting lateral movement to said one end of thelowermost bottle to cause said one end of the bottle to override saidprojection and move from the first portion of the stationary support tothe second portion of the stationary support.

5. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship and having a dispensing regionat the bottom thereof, said magazine having a plurality of verticalpartition members dividing the magazine into vertical compartmentsarranged in contiguous side-by-side relationship, and dispensing meansdisposed in the dispensing region of said magazine for releasingindividual bottles from the bottom of said magazine, said dispensingmeans comprising a member for releasably supporting one end of thelowermost bottle in each of said compartments, means for supporting theother end of the lowermost bottle in each compartment and for causingthat end to move laterally from beneath the adjacent end of the nextlowermost bottle in the same compartment as the lowermost bottle isdispensed from the compartment, whereby the said other end of thelowermost bottle in each compartment is free to slide oif of its supportwithout interference from the adjacent end of the next lowermost bottlewhen said one end of the lowermost bottle is released, the constructionof said partition members within the dispensing region of the magazinebeing such as to permit the lowermost bottle in one compartment to moveto a position in which it occupies a portion of the dispensing region ofan adjacent compartment, whereby said lateral movement of the lowermostbottle is permitted.

6. In bottle dispensing apparatus, the combination of a magazine forstoring bottles in stacked relationship and having a dispensing regionat the bottom thereof, said magazine having a plurality of verticalpartition members dividing the magazine into vertical compartmentsarranged in contiguous side-by-side relationship, and dispensing meansdisposed in the dispensing region of said magazine for releasingindividual bottles from the bottom of said magazine, said dispensingmeans comprising a member for releasably supporting one end of thelowermost bottle in each of said compartments, means for supporting theother end of the lowermost bottle in each compartment and for causingthat end to move laterally from beneath the adjacent end of the nextlowermost bottle in the same compartment as the lowermost bottle isdispensed from the compartment, whereby the said other end of thelowermost bottle in each compartment is free to slide oil of its supportwithout interference from the adjacent end of the next lowermost bottlewhen said one end of the lowermost bottle is released, the partitionmembers between each pair of compartments having an opening therein insaid dispensing region for permitting the lowermost bottle in onecompartment to move to a position in which it occupies a portion of thedispensing region of an adjacent compartment, whereby said lateralmovement of the lowermost bottle is permitted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCarlson May 22, 1928, Toppin et al. Apr. 23, 1929 Henderson Apr. 23,1929 Johnson Sept. 18, 1934 Childers July 21, 1942 Case June 13, 1950Andrews Aug. 7, 1951 Childers et a1 Nov. 2, 1954

